Maple Leafs complete two important roster transactions, demote rookie goaltender

The Toronto Maple Leafs were given some great news in between the pipes on Tuesday with the return of goaltender Joseph Woll.

The 27-year-old was activated off the injured reserve in anticipation of his start against the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, and in a subsequent move, the Leafs demoted rookie goaltender Artur Akhtyamov.

Woll had been sidelined since the 4th of December after he was forced out of their eventual 5-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Head coach Craig Berube intimated that he didn't believe it was going to be a serious injury, and at best, he'd be back within a week.

Fortunately, the bench boss was correct in that it wasn't a serious lower-body injury, as his stay on the IR lasted only 12 days. In his stead, Dennis Hildeby made 4 straight starts, in which he posted a 1-1-2 record with a .926 SV%, all while only allowing 10 goals.

With Anthony Stolarz managing an injury, Hildeby was thrust into an unenviable position, but made the best of a bad situation by further staking his claim to the blue paint should the Leafs find themselves in a pinch again. Stolarz is expected to remain on the sidelines for the foreseeable future, which means Hildeby will remain with the Leafs indefinitely.

To accommodate the activation of Woll, the Leafs had to demote Akhtyamov to the minors. The young Russian netminder made just one appearance in relief of Hildeby, which took place on Saturday night, but he stopped all 5 shots thrown his way for a perfect NHL debut.

Akhtyamov will return to the Toronto Marlies, whereupon he'll take the reins as the number one goalie, after having posted a 7-6-0 record with a 3.04 GAA and a .896 SV%. He had entered the season as the backup to Hildeby, but with the latter having been recalled to the NHL, the former got a sizeable run in his absence.

The Maple Leafs will look to get back in the win column tonight against a Blackhawks team that will be without Connor Bedard, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury. Woll's return should give them a boost as he's posted a .923 SV% and a 2.44 GAA in 8 games this season.